The dirty truth about how long underwear should last

People reveal the secret life of their pants

You may have heard: "I've had underwear longer than I've had boyfriends," or "I've got socks older than you." It turns out whoever said that may have been telling the truth.

How long should you keep your underwear? And would you even tell? Well, a survey has now revealed the secret life of pants, knickers and bras.

And results could prove there is more than one kind of seven-year itch.

A survey has shown that men wear their pants for an average of seven years before throwing them away. Which means there's not much of a chance that they'll be in particularly good condition before they end up in the bin.

Though one man admitted to going as far as eight or nine years with some pairs. "Ripped up, worn out. See though now," he said.

And it's not just guys who perhaps need to keep things brief. Women have also confessed to having old undies in rotation perhaps a little longer than one might think.

One woman tweeted that she still wears a couple of pairs from her college days. Nine years ago!

Go commando?

One man also confessed to having a trick for making his smalls last longer: don't wear them at all. Yes, in the hot summer months, he says, why add the extra layer?

There's not a chance of doing that, another man says. There's too much chafing, he says.

Way too much information. Some things, like old pants, are best kept as a secret.

Let us send you our Newsletter

Our editors will email you a roundup of their favourite stories from across AOL